Saturday, July 19, 2008

Meet Maggie Ball, a friend from down under...

One of my many online friendships is with Magdelena (Maggie) Ball, an energetic writer and host of Compulsive Reader: www.compulsivereader.com.

I've sent soon-to-be-authors to Maggie's site to study the reviews and learn what makes a book stand out, and what gets mentioned in goods review. Now Maggie Ball has authored her first novel Sleep Before Evening, and has been named as a Finalist in the the Regional Fiction category of the 2008 Next Generation Indie Book Awards.

The Next Generation Indie Book Awards were established to recognize and honor the most exceptional independently published books for the year and is presented by the Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group in cooperation with Marilyn Allen of Allen O'Shea Literary Agency. Additionally, Sleep Before Evening will be listed as a Finalist in the 2008 Next Generation Indie Book Awards catalog, distributed at Book Expo America in Los Angeles.

Talking about her book promotion, Maggie says: "I'm actually based in Australia myself, so all of the in-person promotions I've done have been here in Aus -- that includes the book launch, library talks, giving ancillary talks on subjects the book touches on like addiction, self-actualisation, art and bi-polarity.

"With Angus & Robertson, Australia's biggest independent retailer, I basically visited them in person and made a lot of phone calls -- can't beat that face to face stuff. But I have a pretty big online presence, and tend to work in a worldwide venue, and probably from a network point of view, I have many more colleagues and contacts in the US than in Australia. Also Australia is a much smaller market, and the book is set in the US, while the publisher is in the UK!"

When you think it's difficult to write fiction, try writing a novel based in New York, when you're living in Australia, while running the successful Compulsive Reader site at the same time.

The marvel of this online friendship and my reason for sharing this with you is: In all this time, knowing Maggie online and enjoying her Compulsive Reader site, I never knew she was based in Australia. It shows you both how global the "world-wide" web is, and how you must listen when I urge you to think globally in your own promotions. Living in Chicago doesn't limit your market. Use the web to target readers far and wide, and let me know when YOU are the one to win an international prize.

About Me

Helen Gallagher is a national speaker and publishing consultant. Today, her thriving consulting practice is augmented by her writing on business and technology, with over 100 articles in major business and trade publications.
Just for fun, to celebrate ten years in business, Helen wrote her first book: "Computer Ease," selected by Forbes.com Book Club, and winner of a non-fiction award from the Illinois Women's Press Association (IWPA) in 2006. Helen is a contributor to Lonely Planet's Travelers Tales book, "The World is a Kitchen". Her essay won the IWPA award in 2007. Her 2007 book "Release Your Writing: Book Publishing Your Way" helps writers find the path to their dream of getting published. "Release Your Writing" is a USA Book News Award finalist. Helen's newest book "Blog Power & Social Media Handbook" hit store shelves in August 2010.
Helen's freelance writing appears in national magazines and numerous online sites. She is also a book reviewer for BlogCritics Magazine, OpenSalon.com and New York Journal of Books.
Helen supports organizations that support writers: member of ASJA, IWWG, OCWW, MWA, SPAWN.ORG